The Archaeological Museum 'Pietro Griffo' of Agrigento houses a terracotta statuette depicting a dwarf-like figure, naked, squatting and grinning, with a cup on his head. Commonly known as the 'Bes' of Agrigento and already the subject of study by Sabatino Moscati, it is usually considered an artefact of Punic setting. This is one of the many examples of cultural hybridism that characterizes the history of Akragas after the Carthaginian conquest of the main cities of central Sicily in 409 BC. The re-examination of this artefact, from both the Siceliote and Punic perspectives, offers a multidisciplinary reflection on the values and ritual destination of an image that crosses two cultural facies. The study also provides an opportunity for a new contextualization from a more strictly archaeological point of view.
Fariselli, A.C., Lepore, G., Mangione, D. (2024). A proposito del cosiddetto ‘Bes’ di Agrigento. OTIUM, 17, 1-30 [10.5281/zenodo.14943310].
A proposito del cosiddetto ‘Bes’ di Agrigento
FARISELLI, A. C.;LEPORE, G.;
2024
Abstract
The Archaeological Museum 'Pietro Griffo' of Agrigento houses a terracotta statuette depicting a dwarf-like figure, naked, squatting and grinning, with a cup on his head. Commonly known as the 'Bes' of Agrigento and already the subject of study by Sabatino Moscati, it is usually considered an artefact of Punic setting. This is one of the many examples of cultural hybridism that characterizes the history of Akragas after the Carthaginian conquest of the main cities of central Sicily in 409 BC. The re-examination of this artefact, from both the Siceliote and Punic perspectives, offers a multidisciplinary reflection on the values and ritual destination of an image that crosses two cultural facies. The study also provides an opportunity for a new contextualization from a more strictly archaeological point of view.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
